Tage Thompson reveals Patrice Bergeron destroyed his NHL dreams during the lockout.

Today 27 year old Buffalo Sabres Tage thompson is recognized as a star forward in the National Hockey League after two 40+ goal seasons at the NHL level, but that may have never come to pass if it wasn't for a little unusual help from one of the Boston Bruins' most beloved legends.

During a recent appearance on the Empty Netters podcast, one in which he appeared alongside Sabres teammate Alex Tuch, Tage revealed that he only became a forward after his NHL dreams were crushed by Bruins legend Patrice Bergeron. As it turns out, Bergeron was encouraged by Tage's father, former NHL defenseman Brent Thompson, to help Tage lose any hope of ever becoming a goalie at the NHL level.

"I had a huge phase where I wanted to be a goalie and I was actually in Providence Rhode Island during the lockout season," revealed Tage on the Empty Netters podcast. "My dad was playing there and Bergeron was playing there as well... he would always come over and my dad would tell him 'Go out on the street and light him up' so Bergeron would shoot on me and snipe on me. I was like 'enough of this.'"

Tage was asked what it was like standing across the NHL ice with Bergeron on the other side after such an experience, and Tage admitted he didn't think Bergeron would even recognize him.

"It was cool, I didn't know if he was gonna remember me." admitted Tage.

Bergeron however has long since been recognized as one of the true gentlemen of the sport, and he lived up to that reputation in the eyes of Tage Thompson.

"He came up to me right away, he's just a class act, he was asking me and my brother, just the whole family and how we were doing," revealed Tage.

Tage admits the moment left a lasting impact on him as a hockey player.

"That was pretty cool to me cause I didn't even know if he was gonna remember me," admitted Tage.

Tage states that he decided from that day forward that he would try to emulate the class shown to him by Bergeron in his own career, just one more way that Bergeron's legacy will carry on long after his career in the NHL has come to an end.